It was just about a perfect evening on the lawn at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, one of the most beautiful concert venues I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending. It was warm but not hot, and the sun was still in the sky when we arrived, about half an hour before show time. Fortunately, there were still plenty of reasonably close spots for a group of six. As a speakers are suspended above, throughout the bandshell, strategically placing yourself the right distance from one isn’t of terrible importance. Often it’s the audience that dictates the experience, and I was pleased to find most attendees hushed up during Iron & Wine’s opening set. His quiet music could have easily been ruined by a few people chatting loudly.
He took to the stage with only his guitar and his voice. There were no other instruments, musicians, or lights. His banter with the audience was witty and a bit self-deprecating. There were no songs of his that I was particularly dying to hear but plenty that I liked. This included one cover and one new song. However, he pointed out that the new song was actually an old song. He claimed that waiting to introduce it now gave him the added pleasure of being able to annoy the people who claim to only like his old music…or his new music. It’s both and neither.
Iron & Wine Setlist:
The Trapeze Swinger
Two Hungry Blackbirds
Fever Dream
Evening on the Ground (Lilith's Song)
Communion Cups and Someone's Coat
Low Light Buddy of Mine
Bird Stealing Bread
Big Burned Hand
Love Vigilantes [New Order cover]
Sixteen, Maybe Less
Lovers' Revolution
[Unknown New Song]
After a slight break, the second indie folk singer-songwriter of the evening, Damien Rice, took the stage as the sun was setting. Again, it was just a man and his guitar, though as I have become accustomed to in his previous shows, he used a few additional elements including lighting and sound effects. He performed what was more or less a typical setlist, though it was his first time playing “Lonelily” in many years. Personally, I was hoping for “Eskimo” but no such luck. Four performances and that song still eludes me. He used many of the same jokes and stories as his did in his previous shows, Irish Catholic guilt and whatnot. He didn’t share quite as many stories as before, as it wasn’t really as intimate of a venue. The performance was very enjoyable, though naturally didn’t compare to my experience seeing him in Montreal (that being the “first” time, up close, and with a nearly four hour setlist). He invited everyone to get as close to the stage as possible for his final songs, but security wouldn’t let us into the front area without a ticket.
Damien Rice Setlist:
Cannonball
Delicate
Elephant
9 Crimes
The Greatest Bastard
Trusty and True
I Remember
The Box
Lonelily
Cold Water
The Professor & La Fille Danse
Long Long Way
Volcano
Encore:
The Blower's Daughter
It Takes a Lot to Know a Man
Damien Rice Setlist:
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